The longer I live in Alabama the more surprised and amazed I become. Most people do not know that Alabama boasts the highest number of freshwater fishes, crayfish, snails and turtles in the United States, along with 180 different species of freshwater mussels. Most people do not know that Alabama’s combined reptile and amphibian species are the third most diverse in the nation, or that the immense plant and tree diversity of Alabama ranks in the top among North America. Most people do not know that Alabama’s cave systems are extremely vast and temptingly unexplored, with an estimate of only 10% of its cave systems documented, who knows what new discoveries could lie inside? Personally I knew none of this, to me Alabama was solely a nations crop land, filled only with churches, cotton, chickens, and corn fields. I dreamt of the day I could pack up and travel to South America to experience famously rich bio-diverse regions. However, the more exposed to Alabama I am becoming, the more I realize that biodiversity is right here in my backyard.
Why is Alabama so biodiverse? Like most things, uncovering the past is a good start to explaining the present. Alabama Ecologist R. Scot Duncan writes about Alabama’s condition over the last 2 million years throughout the Earth’s cyclical ice ages. This period of time was crucial to Alabama’s biodiversity because while most “states” in North America froze over, Alabama was perfectly positioned as “The Goldilocks state”, said Duncan. Not too hot, not too cold, it was just right to create a refuge for biota to survive throughout the freezing events. Today the quest to uncover all of Alabama’s ecological riches both aquatic and terrestrially is underway, new projects have been unfolding to research, document, and study Alabama’s unique overall biology. The Alabama A&M Paint Rock Forest Dynamics project is a research experiment to do just that. The project’s goal is to study forest dynamics within a 50 hectare plot of land located in the North western region of the Cumberland plateau in Alabama. The goal is to tag (pictured left), identify, and map all species of tree that are 10mm in diameter and above. I am forest technician apart of a team of 8 other individuals for the summer of 2021 working on data collection.
Thus far the experience has been filled with developing new skills in research and ecology, however, that’s not all. A huge part of this experience has been exposure to people, specifically people involved in some way or another in natural sciences with a passion for conservation. For the first four weeks our job entailed listening to various dedicated professors and/or researchers on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The Scientists presented their research as well as their paths to a career in their respective fields. Numerous connections have been made with the field crew and professionals through Paint Rock. My Eyes have been opened to the possibilities of hard work and curiosity within the world of science, I mean who knew you could study a particular tundra flower for 20 plus years and make connections towards climate change and the environment? The field experience has been just as entertaining and meaningful, if you don’t believe me look at the picture below, that is an image of a Timber Rattlesnake in a tree. This shocked us the new members of the technician crew, along with every experienced ecologist, principal investigator, and snake lover involved in the project. A Rattlesnake in a tree is an exceptionally rare behavior, just look at the face of our boss witnessing the phenomena in the picture below the Rattlesnake’s. It was truly a sight to see, I wonder what the forest will show us next.
Pictured below is the 2021 Paint rock crew. We consist mostly of enrolled or recently graduated college individuals, who took this job either before an upcoming semester, graduate school, another job, or in my case, something to do while I figure out my next step. Working with these people has been a blessing, to be apart of a crew that has similar interests as you, and the same gall to take a summer job in the hot and humid Alabama summer, in the middle of a forest, battling tics, rattlesnakes, mosquitoes, and all other critters, no cell service or bathrooms for miles; the conditions instantly created a strong connection among our crew. Our paths look quite different as we converse about our aspirations, however we are all connected as scientists who feel especially passionate about nature and the future of our planet. I imagine all of us ten years from now striving to do our best for what we believe in, and it gives me great pleasure to think about these individuals that are out in the field with me today will be the same individuals striving to make our planet a better place for many years to come. It’s fortuitous that I get to call them friends.
Credits:
Ethan Vroonland